Playing (authorized) hooky in Kamakura

There’s really no such thing as playing hooky in the U.S. Navy (unless you mean to move to Canada, change your name, sell polished stone jewelry, and live off the land), but Carlos took Thursday afternoon off and it felt a touch escapist having him around on a weekday. He wanted to see the Great Buddha because he hadn’t seen it since the last time we lived here in 1992, and it could be the last time he has a chance to see it before we leave.

There will be a lot of “last chances” to see things over the next few months.

We ate lunch at an excellent sushi place in Zushi. I have been there about four or five times. [Note for locals: exit Zushi station, turn right at the main shopping street (Ginza), walk two blocks, pass the Kamakura Ham shop, and it’s on the right.]

The owner/chef has been running the shop for 35 years. He makes his own tamago-yaki and only serves what is strictly fresh and mostly local from the Hayama fish market. Perfect rice, superb gu (toppings).

We shared a blueberry ice cream cone.

We had a moment with the Buddha.

We sat on a bench in the warm sun and watched people go by: a European tour group, a handsome man praying for an extra long time in front of the Buddha, a man taking photos of the incense smoke, fashionable couples, unfashionable couples, older people, young adults, and kids in blue hats on a school outing.

On our way back to the tiny Enoden Hase train station, we saw this Basenji sitting like an elegant monk outside a clothes shop. It gave me a firm stare as I took the photo, and then calmly turned its head back in the direction of the warm sunlight.